Automatic railway stock and cattle guard



(No Model.)

J. WALTON. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY STOCK AND CATTLE GUARD.

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Suva/wko@ CZn UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES AWALTON, OF LA PLATA, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-THIRDS TO JOHN F.MITCHELL, OF SAME PLACE, AND GEORGE D. HUTOHISON, OF

FORT MADISON, IOWA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY VSTOCK AND CATTLE GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lettersxlatent No. 481,447, dated August23, 1892. Application led April 14, 1892. Serial No. 429,213. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WALTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at La Plata, in the county of Macon and State of Missouri, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway Stockand Cattle Guards; and I do hereby declare thatA the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to theletters of reference marked thereon. Y

This invention relates to certainv new and useful improvements inautomatic railway cattle and stock guards for use at crossings and anyand all places Where it is desired to erect the same to prevent cattlefrom entering the right of way of a railroad.

It has for its objects, among others, to provide a simple and cheap yetdurable and efficient guard which shall comprise a pivoted gate or thelike actuated by the weightof the animal in attempting to enter upon thetrack. Inclined blocks are provided to guide the feet of the animal ontothe plates or bars, which are arranged' to actuate the side bars andtherethrough the said pivoted gate. The gate normally lies upon such aplane as not to interfere With the train or any parts thereof,

and even if struck by a train while it is in its elevated position, ifthe train is coming in one direction, it will simply be knocked down toits horizontal position, and in case it should be struck by a traincoming in the opposite direction, which is not at all probable, the blowwill simply bend the wire pickets of the gate, which can be readilyreplaced.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appearand the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by theappended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of thisspecification, and in'which-- Figure l is a top plan showing myimprovements with the gate in its horizontal position. Fig. 2 is asection on the line z ,e of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a side View with the gateraised.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates therails, and A the ties, to which they are secured in the usual manner.

B are bars arranged parallel with the rails and at any suitable distanceoutside thereof, as seen in Fig. l, and they are pivotally connected inany suitable manner at one end to one of the ties, which is extended forthat purpose, as illustrated in Fig. l, the bars being shown as providedwith an eye b, engaging an eye c on a bolt C, passed through the tie andprovided with an adj usting-nut c', as seen in .all the views. Theseside bars are upon a slightly-lower plane than the rails, as seen inFigs. 2 and 3, and their other ends are provided with elongated slotsc2, as seen best in Fig. 3.

D are plates or planks arranged parallel with the ties and between thesame near the pivot end of the side bars and resting upon the upperfaces of said bars, being secured `thereto in any suitable manner, as bythe hookbolts d, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. Upon the ties upon oppositesides ot' these plates or planks are the double-inclined blocks E, theobject of which is to guide the feet of the animal down upon the platesor plank D.

F are metal plates secured to the ties at the free end of the side barsand provided with holes, in which is journaled the rock-shaft G, theends of which are formed into crank-arms g and arranged in the elongatedslots of the side bars, as seen best in Fig. 3. This rockshaft issquared between its bearings, and to this portion are secured in anysuitable manner the rods or pickets I, which are curved toward the pivotend of the side bars, as seen in all the views.

Normally the gate is down, as seen in Figs. l and 2, and the free endsof the side bars are up; but when an animal steps upon either of theplates D it will depress that end and consequently the free end, and theends of the crank-arms riding in the slots of the side bars will causethe gate to be raised, as shown in Fig. 3. When thus raised, it ofcourse bars is automatic in its action, positive, and reliable.

What is claimed as new is- 1. In an automatic cattle-guard, side barsVpivoted at one end, a rock-shaft having loose connection with the otherend, plates ou the bars near their pivot end', rods-orpicketsearried bythe rock-shaft, and double-inclined blocks on theA ties paralleltherewith between the rails, as set forth.

2. The combination, with the pivoted side bars and the plates thereonand the gate actuated through connection with the side bars,

ot. double-inchnedbloeksonL the ties upon opposite sides of saidplatesparallel therewith between therails and inclinedupon the end and sides,as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony thatI claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name inthe, presence of two witnesses.

JAMES WALTON. Witnesses:

JAMES A.,JULIAN, HENRY D. BUNCH.

